Method and apparatus for construction of modular buildings

ABSTRACT

In constructing a modular building, a floor frame and a wall frame are assembled at a right angle, with a perimeter beam of the floor frame next to the inner faces of vertical studs of the wall frame. Since the outer faces of the studs are covered by surfacing material, they are not accessible for welding, so a welder and pressure device, both mounted on the same support, are positioned to place the welder inside the perimeter beam opposite a stud and the pressure device on the outer side of the wall frame next to the surfacing material. The welder may be aligned with a stud by aiming the pressure device relative to a reference which may be fasteners in the surfacing material. The pressure device is operated to apply force to the wall frame and thus press the welder against the perimeter beam. The welder is operated to make the weld, and the sequence is repeated to make further welds. The method and the apparatus are claimed.

United States Patent Johnson et al.

[ 3,659,333 [451 May 2,1972

[54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF MODULAR BUILDINGS BehringCorporation, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

22 Filed: Apr. 9, 1970 21 Appl. No.: 26,953

[73] Assignee:

3,442,432 5/1969 Santangini ..228/44 Primary Examiner.lohn F. CampbellAssistant Examiner-Richard Bernard Lazarus Att0rney-Settle and OltmanABSTRACT In constructing a modular building, a floor frame and a wallframe are assembled at a right angle, with a perimeter beam of the floorframe next to the inner faces of vertical studs of the wall frame. Sincethe outer faces of the studs are covered by surfacing material, they arenot accessible for welding, so a welder and pressure device, bothmounted on the same support, are positioned to place the welder insidethe perimeter beam opposite a stud and the pressure device on the outerside of the wall frame next to the surfacing material. The welder may bealigned with a stud by aiming the pressure device relative to areference which may be fasteners in the surfacing material. The pressuredevice is operated to apply force to the wall frame and thus press thewelder against the perimeter beam. The welder is operated to make theweld, and the sequence is repeated to make further welds. The method andthe apparatus are claimed.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMY 21912 3,659,333

' SHEET 10F 2 CONTROL UNIT.

ya. 20 RECTIFIER.

11C GAS SUPPLY NIG'IOLAS FALER'TI. JOSEPH E. SCHUETTE.

3 SETTLE a OLTMAN.

ATT'YS.

PATENTEDMAY 2 m2 3, 6 59 33 3 INVENTOkS. JOHN A. JOHVSON. NICHILAS FALERTI. JOSEPH E. SG'lETTE.

SETTLE 8 QTMAN.

ATT'S.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The production of one type of modularbuilding involves complete prefabrication of modules in a factory.Walls, roofs and floor are all fully constructed and then assembled witheach other and welded to form a module or room unit.

In the welding of the floor frame to the wall frames, a problem arisesbecause studs of the wall frame where welds are to be made are hiddenfrom a viewer located outside the wall frame because the studs arecovered by surfacing material. Although access to studs could be gainedfrom underneath the module, as a practical matter this would requireraising the whole module to allow a welder to reach the weld points.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To avoid raising an entire module in order tofacilitate welding of the floor frame to the wall frames, the presentinvention provides a method and apparatus which enables welding of thefloor frame to the studs of the wall frame without being able to see thestuds. The method employs a welder and pressure device, both mounted onthe same support. The welder and the pressure device are positionedrespectively on opposite sides of the wall frame, the welder beinglocated inside the perimeter beam and the pressure device being locatedon the outside of the wall frame next to the surfacing material thereon.The welder is preferably a welding gun of the gas shielding type and thepressure device may be an air cylinder and piston by way of example. Toline up the welder with a stud, the pressure device is aimed relative tofasteners in the surfacing material on the outside of the wall frame.The pressure device is then operated to apply force to the wall frame,as by extending the piston rod of an air cylinder, and this forces thewelder against the perimeter beam opposite a stud. The welder is thenoperated to make a weld. The pressure device is released, and thewelding device is moved to position it either to make another weld tothe same stud or to make a weld at a different stud.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide amethod and apparatus for welding together members which are hidden atleast on one side thereof.

Another object of the invention is to aim a welder and make a weld withthe welder at members which are hidden from the view of the operator ofthe welder.

A further object of the invention is to position a welder at a hiddenwork member by aiming the welder relative to reference means and forcingthe welder on the work with pressure means located remotely from thewelder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a unit having a welder anda pressure means mounted on a common support with which the welder maybe positioned on one side of a wall frame and the pressure means may bepositioned on the opposite side of the wall frame and aimed to line upthe welder with the work.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the followingdescription and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification wherein like referencecharacters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

ON THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the positioning ofthe welding apparatus relative to a floor frame and a wall frame in themaking of a weld; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view, partially in section, showing thepositioning of the apparatus as a weld is made. Before explaining thepresent invention in detail, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited in its application to the details of construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since theinvention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orcarried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose ofdescription and not of limitation.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS A welding gun 10 is of the metal inert gas typein which a metal electrode is are welded to make the weld, and the weldis shielded by inert gas directed at the weld. Welding guns of this typeare commercially available, one such gun being sold under the tradedesignation Millermatic." The welding gun 10 has a handle 12, a triggerl4, and a head 16 where the weld is made. The welding gun 10 isaccompanied by control apparatus shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 andincluding a control unit 18, a power supply 20, a feed unit 22 and a gassupply 24. One terminal of the power supply 20 is connected by lines 26and 28 respectively to the work and to the control unit 18. These may beground connections. The power supply 20 is connected by line 30 to afeed unit 22 which in turn is connected by lines 32 and 34 to thecontrol unit 18. The control unit 18 is connected by line 36 to thewelding gun 10, and the gas supply 24 is also connected by a line 38which is a gas supplying line, to the welding gun 10.

The welding gun 10 contains a motor which feeds wire to the work at acontrolled speed. When the trigger 14 is actuated, the electrical systemof the apparatus begins a programmed operation. The gas valve in thewelding gun opens to start the flow of gas from the gas supply 24. Also,the motor for feeding wire is actuated, and shortly thereafter the wiretouches the work. The motor is automatically stopped, and an arc isestablished for a predetermined time which is the weld time. The controlunit 18 automatically times the weld. The wire feed motor is energizedby arc voltage to feed wire continuously during the weld time, the wirebeing shielded by the inert gas supplied from gas supply 24. After apredetermined time, the arc is extinguished marking the completion ofthe weld.

The welding gun 10 is mounted on a support 40 which in this case is inthe form of a clevis or U-shaped structure having a base 42 and arms 44and 46. There is a handle 48 affixed to arm 46, and a second handle 50at the end of arm 46. Affixed to handle 50 is a pressure device 52 whichin this embodiment is an air cylinder and piston device. Other forms ofpressure applying devices such as a solenoid or hydraulic cylinder couldbe used. The device 52 includes an air cylinder 54 having an internalpiston connected to a rod 56 having a pad 58 on the free end thereof.The pad 58 may have resilient material 60 afiixed to it to protect thework. The cylinder 54 may be clamped to the handle 50 as by U-bolts 62and 64. The pressure device 52 is directly opposite the head 16 of thewelder.

To facilitate actuation of the trigger l4 remotely from the welder, asecond or auxiliary trigger 66 is pivotally mounted on the support 40.The trigger 66 is an elongated rod which follows along the clevis 40from the trigger 14 to the handle 48, the pivot point being at a pin 68extending through an enlarged portion of the auxiliary trigger. The end70 of the auxiliary trigger contacts the welder trigger 14, so when theportion of the trigger 66 next to the handle 48 is pulled upwardly asviewed in FIG. 3, the far end 70 pushes against the trigger 14 andactuates it.

The method of the invention is carried out in one embodiment to weld afloor frame to a wall frame in the construction of a module for abuilding. As shown in the drawings, the floor frame 72 has metal joists74 connected at their ends to a perimeter beam 76. The connection of thejoist to the perimeter beam 76 may be done by welding, but this weldingis carried out as a part of the fabrication of the floor frame prior tothe welding method with which the present invention is concerned. Thefloor frame 72 has floor panelling 78 on its upper side.

The wall frame 80 includes vertical metal studs 82 in the form ofchannels connected as by welding at their bottom ends to a sill member84 which may also be a metal channel. The upper ends of the studs 82 areconnected to another channel which is not shown. Two layers of panelling86 and 88 are affixed to the inside faces of the studs 82, and thispanelling extends down almost to the floor panelling 78. Layers 86 and88 may be gypsum board. On the outside faces of the studs 82, layers 90and 92 of surfacing material such as rockboard are affixed to the studs82 as with vertical rows of screws 94. The surfacing material 90, 92extends fully to the bottom of the wall frame 80, so at the bottom ofthe wall frame, the studs 82 as well as the perimeter beam 76 are hiddenfrom the view of a person located on the outer side of the wall frame80.

The first step of the method is to assemble a floor frame 72 with thewall frame 80 by positioning the perimeter beam 76 next to the insidefaces of the studs 82 adjacent the sill 84. The floor frame 72 is at aright angle to the wall frame 80 in this position, as shown in FIGS. 1,2 and 3.

The support 40 with the welder and the pressure device 52 affixed to itis positioned under the wall frame 80 to place the head 16 of the welder10 next to the perimeter beam 76 on the inner side of the studs 82 andalso to place the pressure device 52 opposite the welder on the outerside of the wall frame 80, all as shown in FIG. 3.

The welding gun is positioned opposite one of the studs 82 by lining upthe pressure device 52 with the screws 94 which fasten the surfacingmaterial 90, 92 to that particular stud. The pressure device 52 is shownlined up with a particular line of screws in FIG. 2, so that it isapparent that the screws are used as a reference for alignment of thewelder with a particular stud. Some other reference could be used butthe screws are the most convenient reference.

Next, the pressure device 52 is actuated to extend the piston rod 56 andforce the pad 58 against the material 92 on the wall frame 80. The padapplies pressure to the wall frame, and due to reaction, device 52applies force in a direction away from the wall frame to the handle 50which pulls the head 16 of the welding gun 10 against the perimeter beam76 directly opposite one of the studs 82 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

Next the trigger 66 is pulled to in turn actuate the trigger l4 andoperate the welder through its automatic welding sequence. The weldingsequence has been described previously and will not be repeated. It maybe noted, however, that where the perimeter beam and the studs and thesill 84 are galvanized steel, it has been found desirable to use wire inthe welding gun of a silicon bronze alloy and a shielding gas of argon.Strong welds between the perimeter beam 76 and the studs 82 can be madein this manner.

After the weld is made, the pressure device 52 is released, and the unit40 is repositioned. A changed position for the welding head 16 and thepressure device 52 along with part of the support 40 is shown in FIG. 3in broken lines. In this case, the welder has been moved up, but remainsin alignment with the same stud so as to make another weld to the samestud. For a particular embodiment, it has been found desirable to makethree welds between the perimeter beam 76 and any given stud 82, thesewelds being lined up vertically. Then the welder is shifted to line upwith another stud 82,and three more welds are made. However, it will beunderstood that the method is applicable where only a single weld ismade to each stud.

Thus, the invention provides a method and apparatus for welding togethermembers which are at least partially hidden utilizing a welder and apressure device located respectively on opposite sides of the work. Foralignment purposes, the pressure device is aligned with a reference onthe covered side of the work, and thispositions the welder at theappropriate place on the opposite side of the work. The welder is forcedagainst the work by the pressure device. The welding is actuated bymeans of a trigger which itself is operated remotely from the welder.There is no need to weld from an awkward position underneath the work orlift the whole module to allow access under the work.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

l. A method of welding a horizontal floor frame to a vertical wall framein the construction of a module for a building utilizing a welder and apressure means both mounted on a support, said method comprising thesteps of:

a. assembling a floor frame having horizontal joists connected tohorizontal perimeter beams with a wall frame having vertical weldablestuds connected to a horizontal sill by placing a horizontal weldableperimeter beam of the floor frame next to an inward side of the studs atsaid sill, the inward side of the studs being the side facing the floorframe, the outward side of said wall frame being covered with surfacingmaterial so that said studs and said perimeter beam are not visible fromthe outward side,

b. positioning said support under said sill to place said welder at saidperimeter beam on the inward side of said studs and said pressure meanson the outward side of said wall frame,

0. applying pressure to said wall frame with said pressure means so thatsaid pressure means acts on said support to force said welder againstsaid perimeter beam opposite one of said studs,

d. welding said perimeter beam to said one stud with said welder,

e. releasing said pressure means, and

f. repositioning said welder to make a further weld.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 in which said step (f) is carriedout by positioning said welder to make a further weld to the same stud.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 in which step (f) is carried out bypositioning said welder to make a further weld to a different stud.

4. A method of welding a horizontal floor frame to a vertical wall framein constructing a module for a building utilizing a welder means and ahook-shaped support, said welder means being at the tip of a hookportion of said support and said support having a handle portion at theother end thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

a. assembling a floor frame having horizontal joists connected tohorizontal perimeter beams with a wall frame having vertical weldablestuds connected to a horizontal sill by placing a horizontal weldableperimeter beam of the floor frame next to an inward side of the verticalstuds at said sill, the inward side of the studs being the side facingthe floor frame, the outward side of said wall frame being covered withsurfacing material so that said studs and said perimeter beam are notvisible from that outward side,

b. positioning said support under said sill to place said welder meansat said perimeter beam on the inward side of said wall frame and saidhandle portion on the outward side of said wall frame,

c. further positioning said support laterally of said beam to align saidwelder means with one of said studs,

d. applying force to said handle portion in a direction away from saidwall frame to force said welder means against said perimeter beamopposite one of said studs,

e. welding said perimeter beam to said one stud with said welder means,

f. releasing said force,

g. shifting said support and welder means relative to said one stud tomake a further weld between said beam and the same stud, andsubsequently h. repositioning said support to align said welder meanswith another stud.

5. A method of welding a horizontal floor frame to a vertical wall frameutilizing a welder and a pressure means both mounted on a hook-shapedsupport, the welder being mounted at the tip of a hook portion of saidsupport and the pressure means being mounted on a handle portion at theopposite end of said support, the weld point being hidden at one side ofthe work, said method comprising the steps of:

a. assembling a horizontal floor frame having joists connected toperimeter beams with a vertical wall frame having weldable studsconnected to a sill by placing a horizontal weldable perimeter beam ofthe floor frame next to an inward side of the vertical studs adjacentsaid sill, the inward side of the studs being the side facing said floorframe, the outward said of said wall frame having surfacing materialattached to said studs with fasteners which are visible but the studsbeing hidden from that outward side, I

b. positioning said support under said sill to place said welder at saidperimeter beam on the inward side of said wall frame and said pressuremeans on the outward side of said wall frame,

c. further positioning said support laterally of said beam to align aportion of said pressure means relative to selected fasteners and thusalign said welder with one of said studs,

d. applying pressure to said wall frame with said pressure means withsaid pressure means'acting on said handle to force said welder againstsaid perimeter beam opposite one of said studs,

e. welding said perimeter beam to said one stud with said welder,

f. releasing said pressure means, and

g. repositioning said welder-to make a further weld.

6. A method of welding a horizontal floor frame to a vertical wall framein the construction of a module for a building utilizing apparatushaving a handle and a hooked portion with welding means at the tipthereof, said method comprising the steps of:

a. assembling a horizontal floor frame having horizontal joistsconnected to horizontal perimeter beams with a vertical wall framehavingvertical weldable studs connected to a horizontal sill by placing ahorizontal weldable perimeter beam of the floor frame next in an inwardside of the vertical studs at said sill, the inward side of the studsbeing the side facing said floor frame, the outward side of said wallframe being covered with surfacing material so that said studs and saidperimeter beam are not visible from that side,

b. positioning said hooked portion of said apparatus under said sill toplace said welding means at said perimeter beam on the inward side ofsaid wall frame and said handle on the outward side of said wall frame,

c. applying force to said handle in a direction away from said wallframe to pull said welding means against said perimeter beam oppositeone of said studs,

d. welding said perimeter beam to said one stud with said welding means,

e. releasing said force, and

f. repositioning said apparatus to make a further weld.

' 7. The method as claimed in claim 6 in which said step (f) is carriedout by positioning said welding means to make a further weld to the samestud.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 in which step (f) is carried out bypositioning said welding means to make a further weld to a differentstud.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 in which said welding means isaligned with said one stud by aiming said apparatus relative to afastener which is visible on the said opposite side of the wall frame.

at i

1. A method of welding a horizontal floor frame to a vertical wall framein the construction of a module for a building utilizing a welder and apressure means both mounted on a support, said method comprising thesteps of: a. assembling a floor frame having horizontal joists connectedto horizontal perimeter beams with a wall frame having vertical weldablestuds connected to a horizontal sill by placing a horizontal weldableperimeter beam of the floor frame next to an inward side of the studs atsaid sill, the inward side of the studs being the side facing the floorframe, the outward side of said wall frame being covered with surfacingmaterial so that said studs and said perimeter beam are not visible fromthe outward side, b. positioning said support under said sill to placesaid welder at said perimeter beam on the inward side of said studs andsaid pressure means on the outward side of said wall frame, c. applyingpressure to said wall frame with said pressure means so that saidpressure means acts on said support to force said welder against saidperimeter beam opposite one of said studs, d. welding said perimeterbeam to said one stud with said welder, e. releasing said pressuremeans, and f. repositioning said welder to make a further weld.
 2. Themethod as claimed in claim 1 in which said step (f) is carried out bypositioning said welder to make a further weld to the same stud.
 3. Themethod as claimed in claim 1 in which step (f) is carried out bypositioning said welder to make a further weld to a different stud.
 4. Amethod of welding a horizontal floor frame to a vertical wall frame inconstructing a module for a building utilizing a welder means and ahook-shaped support, said welder means being at the tip of a hookportion of said support and said support having a handle portion at theother end thereof, said method comprising the steps of: a. assembling afloor frame having horizontal joists connected to horizontal perimeterbeams with a wall frame having vertical weldable studs connected to ahorizontal sill by placing a horizontal weldable perimeter beam of thefloor frame nexT to an inward side of the vertical studs at said sill,the inward side of the studs being the side facing the floor frame, theoutward side of said wall frame being covered with surfacing material sothat said studs and said perimeter beam are not visible from thatoutward side, b. positioning said support under said sill to place saidwelder means at said perimeter beam on the inward side of said wallframe and said handle portion on the outward side of said wall frame, c.further positioning said support laterally of said beam to align saidwelder means with one of said studs, d. applying force to said handleportion in a direction away from said wall frame to force said weldermeans against said perimeter beam opposite one of said studs, e. weldingsaid perimeter beam to said one stud with said welder means, f.releasing said force, g. shifting said support and welder means relativeto said one stud to make a further weld between said beam and the samestud, and subsequently h. repositioning said support to align saidwelder means with another stud.
 5. A method of welding a horizontalfloor frame to a vertical wall frame utilizing a welder and a pressuremeans both mounted on a hook-shaped support, the welder being mounted atthe tip of a hook portion of said support and the pressure means beingmounted on a handle portion at the opposite end of said support, theweld point being hidden at one side of the work, said method comprisingthe steps of: a. assembling a horizontal floor frame having joistsconnected to perimeter beams with a vertical wall frame having weldablestuds connected to a sill by placing a horizontal weldable perimeterbeam of the floor frame next to an inward side of the vertical studsadjacent said sill, the inward side of the studs being the side facingsaid floor frame, the outward said of said wall frame having surfacingmaterial attached to said studs with fasteners which are visible but thestuds being hidden from that outward side, b. positioning said supportunder said sill to place said welder at said perimeter beam on theinward side of said wall frame and said pressure means on the outwardside of said wall frame, c. further positioning said support laterallyof said beam to align a portion of said pressure means relative toselected fasteners and thus align said welder with one of said studs, d.applying pressure to said wall frame with said pressure means with saidpressure means acting on said handle to force said welder against saidperimeter beam opposite one of said studs, e. welding said perimeterbeam to said one stud with said welder, f. releasing said pressuremeans, and g. repositioning said welder to make a further weld.
 6. Amethod of welding a horizontal floor frame to a vertical wall frame inthe construction of a module for a building utilizing apparatus having ahandle and a hooked portion with welding means at the tip thereof, saidmethod comprising the steps of: a. assembling a horizontal floor framehaving horizontal joists connected to horizontal perimeter beams with avertical wall frame having vertical weldable studs connected to ahorizontal sill by placing a horizontal weldable perimeter beam of thefloor frame next in an inward side of the vertical studs at said sill,the inward side of the studs being the side facing said floor frame, theoutward side of said wall frame being covered with surfacing material sothat said studs and said perimeter beam are not visible from that side,b. positioning said hooked portion of said apparatus under said sill toplace said welding means at said perimeter beam on the inward side ofsaid wall frame and said handle on the outward side of said wall frame,c. applying force to said handle in a direction away from said wallframe to pull said welding means against said perimeter beam oppositeone of said studs, d. welding said perimeter beam to said one stud withsaid welding means, e. reLeasing said force, and f. repositioning saidapparatus to make a further weld.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 6 inwhich said step (f) is carried out by positioning said welding means tomake a further weld to the same stud.
 8. The method as claimed in claim6 in which step (f) is carried out by positioning said welding means tomake a further weld to a different stud.
 9. The method as claimed inclaim 6 in which said welding means is aligned with said one stud byaiming said apparatus relative to a fastener which is visible on thesaid opposite side of the wall frame.